Things haven't changed all that much in the New England Revolution's universe after a wild 5-4 loss to the MetroStars on Saturday night at Giants Stadium.
They're still in first place in the Eastern Conference and will, barring a colossal breakdown, clinch a playoff spot. But that doesn't mean the Revs weren't any less peeved about the way they played against a desperate Metros side.
"It was a poor game for us," Marshall Leonard said. "Nine goals in 90 minutes, that shouldn't be the way soccer is played. It was either great offense or bad defense. I think it was bad defense."
When was the last time defender Jay Heaps has seen such a defensive breakdown from the Revs?
"It's been a couple of years anyway," he said. "Straight out mental lapses."
But the Revs didn't just reserve their ire for themselves. No, the officials got a lot of it for what the Revs' players deemed to be a clear missed offside call.
It happened on the Metros second goal -- Youri Djorkaeff's first of the game -- when the former French international was played behind the Revs backline by Amado Guevara. Djorkaeff took a touch around a diving Reis and slotted the ball into the open net to give the Metros a 2-1 lead in the 51st minute.
"It wasn't pretty, that's for sure," Heaps said. "It can't be that two of three (MetroStars goals) at least were offside."
The Metros took a two-goal advantage in the 59th minute on Guevara's sliding goal at the far post.
"We weren't paying attention," Leonard said. "It starts with the forwards and through the midfield. ... Our goal is to be No. 1 at the end and I know that we can't play like that. We won't have that showing again."
Added Revs coach Steve Nicol: "It was one of those nights, shall we say. I wouldn't say it was anything on (the MetroStars) part. It happens. It's not nice when it happens but it does happen and we have to put it behind us and move on."
The Revs rallied with three goals in a span of 13 minutes on goals by Shalrie Joseph -- his second of the game -- Clint Dempsey and Taylor Twellman, to take a 4-3 lead in the 74th minute.
But that's little consolation since the Revs gave up a pair of goals in the final quarter-hour.
"We gave two horrendous goals away at the end," Nicol said. "It's a night when we weren't switched on properly. We're not beating ourselves up over it."
Mike Magee tied the game for the Metros on his second goal of the game before Djorkaeff won it on a remarkable goal from a nearly impossible angle. He caught Reis leaning and slotted the ball inside the near post.
"It was a bad goal on Matt's part," Nicol said. "But for 26 games he's been outstanding. We'll put this one behind us and move on."
As bad as they feel about losing to the MetroStars, the Revs like that they have a short turnaround and play at Columbus on Wednesday.
"We've got to win games, we have to go into the playoffs on a roll," Twellman said. "Thank God we have a game on Wednesday."
Dylan Butler is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
